Misleading Ad, Misleading Message
By Abby Willett
As a consumer, I am constantly exposed to advertisements that are meant to attract my attention to different sites. From delicious looking food to extremely thin models, companies are using misleading images to make their products look more appealing. I feel strongly about this topic because I have fallen victim to the misleading images. Even if it is as simple as buying an item of clothing that appeared differently on the website, altering images to increase sales is unfair and misleading.
In more extreme cases, misleading advertisements have gone as far as body image issues among its audiences and its own models. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (1999), “…69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape…”. This means that young girls are admiring women that have been retouched by companies to make them look better. The magazine models are giving young girls a false sense of reality and are misleading them to believe their body, complexion and hair is simply perfect when it’s not. This issues affects more than the audience though. Companies have Photoshopped their models and received negative backlash from them, as well. Lupita Nyong’o noticed that Grazia UK magazine had removed a section of her hair for the cover photo of the magazine. Altering the image of her hair insulted Lupita, and she clearly did not support the magazine in doing so.
From personal experience, some companies promote products on their websites that arrive differently in person. Misleading advertisements only create a poor reputation and an untrustworthy name for companies. Instead of portraying their products as they are and receiving positive feedback, they mislead their consumers to believe they will be getting something better. On a humorous note, there are several sites that show the comparison between what the consumers purchased and what they actually received. Buzzfeed posted an article called 15 Fast Food Advertisements Vs. What You Actually Get that proves that the photos of the food are much different when the food is physically served to you. Whether it is a clothing item or fast food, companies are delivering unbelievably different products. This is incredibly misleading to consumers because companies are using photos that misrepresent what they are selling. While sometimes the extreme differences can be amusing, most people become incredibly frustrated with the companies and lose their faith.
Lastly, misleading advertisements create a false sense of reality. Many companies have created a brand image around societies beliefs. Ads like beautiful women in fast cars, attractive women eating meat, and other manipulative combinations create an unrealistic ending for everyone. It is unlikely that you will find an extremely attractive woman just because you buy a sports car. Companies create extravagant lifestyles that make people believe that buying their products will get them that lifestyle. For example, Axe has created an unrealistic expectation that their products will undeniably attract hot women. They create the image of an irresistible man simply because he is wearing Axe products. In an article written by Julie Zeilinger (2013), Samantha Escobar from the Gloss is quoted saying, “’This ad promotes the belief that all men… are incapable of controlling themselves when women are nearby…’”. She goes on to talk about how Axe portrays their products to, ‘”…manage their own behavioral problems…’”. This means that Axe is promoting their product as a way to make men cooler and more attractive. Advertising this product as a lifestyle changer is unrealistic and unachievable for its audience.
It would be hard to demand that companies stop altering images and producing misleading advertisements, but there are certainly ways to limit the damage. Today, more plus-sized models are appearing in advertisements, which is beneficial to women who do not identify with the extremely thin models (most people don’t), prescription drug commercials include all of the side affects (no misleading here!), and diversity in casting has increased tremendously. Advertising has been taking baby steps in the right direction, but now they need the extra push to be real.
Society is more interested in seeing real photos than professional, Photoshopped ones. The reason is because audiences want to be able to relate to the media. When advertisements are unrealistic and unachievable, people cant relate. It is important for everyone to feel like they can fit into those clothes, smell like that perfume, or drive that car. Why can’t agencies see that people respond better to relatable ads? Hopefully, one day we will all be proud of the people we are and not feel the need to alter our images to please others. Eventually, a product will sell itself instead of the misleading messages it used to display. The best thing to do is continue voicing opinions about the altered images and the misleading messages and demands the truth and untouched photos.
Works Cited (links)
American Academy of Pediatrics. (1999). Magazine Models Impact Girls’ Desire to
Lose Weight, Press Release. Retrieved from
https://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/articles/eating-disorders
-body-image-and-advertising/
*This piece was written for my Communications Ethics & Law class where we learned how to write opinion pieces and discuss the ethical actions taken by advertising agencies*
Photo: Giorgio Luciani